Use of specific carbohydrate systems during pregnancy for improving bone development and formation and/or for improving cognitive and cns development in offspring

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to the administration of specific carbohydrate systems to a pregnant and/or lactating woman for improving one or more characteristics in offspring, for example cognition and/or bone health. The carbohydrate system may include a slow rate of digestion simple carbohydrate, a complex carbohydrate, and a non-absorbent carbohydrate and/or an indigestible carbohydrate.

1 . A method of improving a characteristic in an offspring, said characteristic selected from bone health or cognition, comprising administering a nutritional composition comprising a carbohydrate system, the carbohydrate system comprising a slow rate of digestion simple carbohydrate, a complex carbohydrate, and at least one of a nonabsorbent carbohydrate, and an indigestible oligosaccharide to a woman during the gestational period of said offspring, the lactation period of said offspring, or both. 
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said characteristic is bone health. 
     
     
         3 . The method of according to  claim 1 , wherein said characteristic is cognition. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said improvement in cognition results in at least one of improved learning and improved memory in said offspring. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said woman has a condition selected from overweight, obesity, diabetes, gestational diabetes mellitus, and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the slow rate of digestion simple carbohydrate is selected from the group consisting of isomaltulose, sucromalt, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the complex carbohydrate is selected from the group consisting of a maltodextrin, corn starch, rice starch, wheat starch, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the complex carbohydrate comprises maltodextrin having a Dextrose Equivalent of from 5 to 25. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the nonabsorbent carbohydrate is selected from the group consisting of inulin, insoluble dietary fibers, digestion resistant maltodextrins, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the indigestible oligosaccharide is selected from the group consisting of fructooligosaccharides, galactooligosaccharides, trans-galactooligosaccharides, xylooligosaccharides, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the nutritional composition is administered daily for at least the last three months of the pregnancy, preferably at least the last six months of pregnancy. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the woman consumes from 20 to 175 grams of the carbohydrate system per day. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the carbohydrate system is comprised of from 40% to 80% by weight slow rate of digestion simple carbohydrate, from 1% to 15% by weight complex carbohydrate, from 5% to 25% by weight nonabsorbent carbohydrate, and from 1% to 20% by weight indigestible carbohydrate. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the carbohydrate system is comprised of from 60% to 70% by weight slow rate of digestion simple carbohydrate, from 6% to 10% by weight complex carbohydrate, from 5% to 20% by weight nonabsorbent carbohydrate, and from 2% to 15% by weight indigestible carbohydrate. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the nutritional composition is administered to the woman during the gestational period of said offspring, and wherein said woman has a condition selected from overweight, obesity, diabetes, and combinations thereof.